Geared for innovative drive solutions

Nord Drive Systems is a global market leader in the design and manufacture of application-specific drive solutions for industry. Philip Yorke reports on a company that continues to expand its global operations and to lead the field in the development of innovative, energy-efficient drive systems for a diverse range of heavy-duty industrial applications.

Nord Drive Systems was founded in Bargteheide, Germany in 1965 and began as a supplier of geared motors to local manufacturing industries in and around Hamburg, Germany. Initially a supplier of geared motors, it quickly expanded its facilities to produce gear unit housings, shafts and flanges. Since setting up its own electronics manufacturing facility in the mid-1980s Nord has grown to become a complete drive solutions provider, with an international network of agents and distributors.

The establishment of its own motor factory in the 1990s significantly improved the flexibility of the company. Nord has always been committed to investing in new technologies and to being a global player, having founded its first foreign subsidiaries over 35 years ago in the USA, Sweden and France. Today Nord remains close to its customers on all five continents with its own assembly and service facilities and is one of the world’s leading suppliers of mechanical and electronic drive technology.

Heavy-duty performance

Nord’s reputation for quality and reliability in the harshest conditions has resulted in the company being awarded a contract to provide heavy-duty machinery for construction work in the Swiss Alps. The expansion project, known as Linthal 2015, is high up in the Swiss Alps and clearly demonstrates the robust and efficient nature of Nord’s famous drive systems.

For this special project, an underground central chamber for a new power station is being constructed at an altitude of more than 1700 metres and has been driven 600 metres into the mountain. It will pump water from the existing Limmerboden reservoir at an altitude of 1860 metres to the 2500 metre-high Multsee range in order to power the turbines that generate the electricity. The huge quantities of excavated rock will be conveyed out of the mountain by two Nord SK12407 industrial power units.

These two Nord industrial units power conveyer systems in a sub-station that transports 500 tonnes of excavated material per hour with a steep incline of 45 degrees and a height difference of approximately 180 metres. Industrial gear units from Nord have easily managed the transportation of over 2.5 million square metres of rock at high altitudes in an Alpine environment full of dust.

user-friendly innovation

At the recent 2017 LogiMAT China Exhibition, Nord drive systems showcased a very user-friendly electronic-drive innovation: The Nordac Link Field distribution system, which is also available as a frequency inverter. These products feature manual control switches and maintenance switches for simple operation and service access. They are also equipped with PI controllers and an on-board PLC to empower smart autonomous applications.

Nord’s Chinese subsidiary currently operates production plants in Suzhou and Tianjin with a total floor space of more than 35,000 square metres. Today Nord China has 23 sales offices across the nation to provide customer support in China as well as in other Asian countries.

The comprehensive Nord Modular Product Range offers high efficiency drive concepts for conveying, positioning and hoisting applications. The unique product line-up includes IE4 synchronous motors with considerable energy-saving potential, notably in conveying systems with frequent partial-load operations at slow speeds. In these scenarios, industrial users will see considerable TCO reductions.

A dedicated logistics industry solution is also offered by the standardised Nord LogiDrive units, which are engineered to be readyto-use, especially in large-scale plants with many belt and roller conveyers. These units are not only very affordable, but also help to streamline spare-parts management and come in sizes that cover all typical performance requirements in, for example, postal sorting hubs, warehouses and baggage handling systems.

unrivalled configuration options

Nord’s industrial gear series offers an exceptional variety of configuration options for application-specific drive solutions. The unique Nord modular product range includes dual-gear set-ups, auxiliary drives, brakes, torque arms, backstops, swing bases and its latest special extruder flanges. In addition there are a number of sealing potions and solutions for monitoring and temperature management.

The gear units can be mounted on all six sides. Furthermore, gear ratios can be configured to fine increments from 5.54:1 to over 30,000:1, with two, three or four gear stages, and an extra primary stage if required. All Nord industrial gear units feature a single piece Unicase housing. This ensures excellent longevity, a very high power density, compact dimensions and high overload capacities.

Nord configures complete drive systems for heavy-duty operations in conveying systems, pumps and agitators. Designated major application fields for these units include bulk handling, the cement industry, steel industry, process engineering, woodworking, sugar processing and wastewater management. n

For further details of Nord Drive Systems’ latest innovative products and services visit: www.nord.com